Battery terminal post clamp



Oct. 9, 1934. 1,976,649

BATTERY TERMINAL POST CLAMP Filed April 7, 1933 KzzuaAok INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a battery terminal post clamp and has for the primary object, the provision of a device of the above stated character which may be easily and quickly applied and 6 removed from a terminal post and when applied thereto will establish an efiicient electrical connection and will not be aiiected by acid from the battery or become corroded so as to aifect the eflicient operation of the device or hinder the removal or application thereof to the post.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating a clamp applied to a battery terminal post and constucted in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating the gripping means for the terminal post carried by the body of the clamp.

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the clamp with the cover plate removed.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the clamp applied to the post.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a spring supporting collar.

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the clamping elements of the clamp.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the tubular terminal.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates an annular body constructed from a suitable conductive material and has formed integrally therewith a socketed member 2 in which there may be secured the end of an electrical conductor 3. Formed integrally with the lower edge of the body 1 is a flange 4 adapted to fit tightly about a terminal post 5, as shown in Figure 4. A series of coil springs 6 engage the inner walls of the body and are carried by a split sleeve 7.

Segmental shaped elements 8 are secured to the inner faces of the sleeve 7 and engage the post 5 under the influence of the springs 6. The split sleeve 7 is constructed of flexible material with its ends spaced apart and the springs 6 act to contract the split sleeve and thereby cause the elements 8 to grip the post 5 so as to establish an eflicient electrical connection between the post and the body of the clamp.

A sealing p' We 8 closes the upper end of the body and is provided with an opening to receive ing corroded.

The complemental elements 8 are retained in their positions in the sleeve 7 by reason of teats 9 raised from their exterior surface and engaging in openings 10 in the sleeve.

The elements are thus held in their proper positions in the sleeve while being removable from the same by the application of a pressure axially of the elements.

The springs 6 are anchored to the split sleeve 7 through the instrumentality of hooks 11 engaged with the final convolutions of the springs, the hooks being formed by being punched from the material of the sleeve and forced beyond the exterior surface thereof. The conductor 3 is not directly connected with the socket 2, but is soldered into a tubular terminal 12 which is exteriorly threaded, so that it may be screwed into interior threads with which the socket is formed.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A battery terminal post clamp comprising a body having an opening therethrough and providing an annular wall within said body, a flange formed on the body at one end of the opening to receive and tightly engage a battery post with the free end of the latter extending beyond the other end of the opening, a split resilient sleeve arranged at the opening about the post, coil springs secured to the sleeve and bearing against the annular wall to cause contraction of the sleeve, segmental-shaped elements carried by said sleeve and urged to grip the post by the contraction of said sleeve, and an apertured closure plate between the post and the annular wall of said body and located at the last-named end of the opening to cooperate with the flange in closing the opening to exclude foreign matter from the KAZUO AOKI. 

